Millest's Wargaming Blog!
It will no doubt end up becoming a place for my own odd thoughts! However its meant to start life as a Wargaming, hobby and painting blog. It will also be a book review site, a bit of a product review page, an airsoft blog and in places lots of other things, but over all I hope it will be a good read!

Monday, June 25, 2012

Hi Folks,
time for a cross post from http://blackcrusade2012.blogspot.co.uk/ and the launch of the 2012 charity project. this is a direct link from their site so please forgive me but this is definately something to take not of:

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2012 – The Black Crusade

Hello everybody and welcome to
the Black Crusade 2012!

Over the next weeks, we will build and paint a
massive Warhammer 40K Chaos Space Marine army just to give it away in a big
raffle!

This year we decided that all contributions will benefit the Jack Vasel Memorial Fund, a charity
that provides financial assistance to members of the public who are part of the
gaming community and who have suffered personal hardship.

How does it
work? Every dollar you contribute gives you a chance to be the lucky new
army winner at the end of this drive. 10 dollars contribution =10 chances to
win. 100 dollars = 100 chances... you get the idea.

In short: the more
you contribute, the better your chances. More importantly, the more you
contribute, the more you help to make the world a better place.

At the
end of the drive, on August 10th, we will choose and announce the winner.

And of course we will have additional give-aways of all kind of gaming
related goodies for you! The winners of those prizes will be drwan form
everybody who donated tot hat point, so get your lots in early!

We will
start to accept contributions on Monday, June 11th.

You want
to do more?
Well, the more support we get, the better our army will be
and the more money we can collect!
Beside contributing there are some other
easy ways to support the Black Crusade:

- Spread the
word!
Just talk about us. That's the most important part at all. The more
people know about the Black Crusade, the more success it will have. Tell all
your friends, talk about the Black Crusade on you favorite forum or post it on
your blog!

- Become a sponsor!
We are still looking for donations for
the army and for the weekly give-aways. No matter f you are a fellow hobbyist or
a store owner, please just contact us under blackcrusade2012@gmail.com!

- Contribute to the army!
For the next couple of weeks we
will consider offers to actively help us building the army. Everything from a
single character to a Warlord Titan is welcome! Again,the bigger the army, the
more success the Black Crusade will have. Golden Demon winners preferred :)

Again, just contact us under the email address above. to help us and
feel free to ask any further questions.

Thank you for considering

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more details, action and the chance to donate and enter can be found here. I have already made my donation, have you?

Hi there, In this week’s
newsletter we’re excited to announce that the Spartan is available to
pre-order. This new kit is based on a Rogue Trader-era design, now brought up
to date by sculpting legend Phil Stutcinskas. We’ve also got an events update
for you as we are now accepting reservation orders for Games Day Germany.

Space Marine Spartan
Assault TankAn armoured transport
of truly massive proportions, the Spartan is a heavy assault tank previously all
but unknown outside of the revered Space Marine Chapters and the secretive
Adeptus Mechanicus. The Spartan is a huge armoured conveyer, dwarfing even the
hallowed Land Raider, whose purpose is to carry a large body of troops into the
very heart of an enemy’s battle lines, weathering weapons fire that would be
the death of any lesser vehicle.

Its design
bears clear connections with that of the mighty Land Raider, and its genius is
such that the greater proportion of its interior space is given over to a transport
capacity greater than any other Imperial vehicle save the super-heavy Gorgons –
being capable of carrying twenty-five power armoured Space Marines into battle.
It is, however, considerably faster on the battlefield thanks to potent
reactor-driven motive drives, and it posts an equally potent armament in the
form of sponson-mounted quad lascannon batteries and secondary heavy bolters.

Many Space
Marine Chapters maintain these huge war machines as part of their arsenal and
deploy them into the most hellish and destructive warzones and battlefields,
where even the mighty Land Raider would be torn asunder. Their greater
transport capacity also finds particular favour amongst those Chapters who
possess many suits of Terminator armour such as the Minotaurs.

The Spartan Assault Tank, designed by Phil Stutcinskas, is an enormous
multi-part resin kit that features a detailed interior. Experimental rules to
allow this armoured behemoth to be fielded in games of Warhammer 40,000 will be
available to download soon, and the Spartan itself can be pre-ordered now for
despatch from Friday 29th June.

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I can confirm now that if and when the mentors ever get started this bad boy will definatelty be joining their ranks, i dont even care if the guys let me field it, even at £95gbp I MUST HAVE!!! I remember converting on of these in my youth but this is soooo much better then my efforts ever were!

Tuesday, June 12, 2012

Time for the blogs very first product review, I hope you all like and if you have any thoughts or suggestions please let me know. Each Section is marked out of 10 and then the marks fiddled about to give an overall mark for the item and seller, hope its of use. Enjoy:

Price: £15gbp (at time of purchase)General Summary:The Pegusus Chimera Conversion kit is as suggested by the name a converion kit for the standard Imperial Guard Chimera Tank, this kit allows you to convert you Chimara to have a smaller troop area and set back turret, as well as an option to use a hi-tech looking turret, combine with a Standard GW Chimera this gives your tanks a unique look on the battlefield.

Review

Purchasing and Delivery:
Purchasing of the item was somewhat unusual, this kit was origionally availible online but after the usual shanninigans with non GW kits the only place to obtain this kit is via direct mail on Ebay. This email was quick, courteous and straightforward, at no point during the email did I feel like Machinator248 was going to run off with my money and all comms were asking me if everything was satisfactory. Payment was as expect via paypal and again everything was followed up in a timely manner.Delivery was quick, around a week but considering it had to get to the UK this is often better then most GW/FW/BL packages.SIDE NOTE: check out machinator248 on ebay for some very cool baneblade/shadowsword components amongst other things.Result: 8/10Packaging and Presentation:
The model was shipped in a nice padded envelope which initially I was worried about but on opening discovered that additional packagin material was included and this helped protect the model in transit. Personally I would have prefered a small card box or similar but i appreciate that this is not a business as such and is a side venture so I underrstand the need to keep costs down.Prentationwise I wasnt expecting huge boxes or patterened bags, i was please however that every component had its own individual ziplock bag so everything had that extra bit of protection.Result: 7/10Quality of Materials and Manufacture:Being a resin based conversion kit I was initially concerned with the quality of the models, both in terms of air bubbles, overcast and casting stalks. As you can see from the pics this need not have been the case:

There were no miscasts in the kit i recieved, casting points only had small lumps and for the most part all edges were sharp. The inclusion of a hatch to cover the hole in the lower hull was also a nice touch.
The details on the body are great, the rivets scale well with the Chimera ones and the large hatch is good as well. I am however not the biggest fan of the turret but have converted mine as a spare.Result: 9/10

Ease of use and Scale:
As you can see from the above pictures the model needs little clean up and other then the usually wash for resin is workable straight away.The kit is a great add-on for the current Chimera and really does add to the look, if you are starting an army this would be a great place to start for looking at alternatives, as I have an exsisitng for with Chimeras I choose this kit to add something familiar but different for my Inquisitors ride. One caveat the kit came with was that FW turrets dont fit, it has since turned out that this is not the case and as you can see from the pics below this kit works well with the chosen base tank:

As you can see a great model that works well with current GW Imperial Gaurd products and one that looks like it should have come from FW.Result: 8/10

Value for money:
Most definately good value for money, given a similar kit from FW would cost at least £20-25gbp I personally cant fault it and feel it is worth the money, just because of the time it saves converting your own chimeras.When you also factor in that you can buy the Imperial Guard Chimera Chasis sprue from Let the Dice Decide for £10 this makes the complete conversion only marginally more expensive then the standard Chimera.Result: 8/10

Overall Rating and Final Thoughts
Overall a great kit and one that I am please I picked up, whilst it is only WIP so far I hope to feature the model more on the blog as it gets further on in its progression. The kit however is a great buy and would recommend it to anyone who is new to converting, resin and just wants something different with little to no hassle. A good solid product.Result: 8/10

Monday, June 11, 2012

Escape from Baghdad by James AshcroftGun-for-hire James 'Ash' Ashcroft thought he'd left Iraq behind. Last time he
only got out alive thanks to the bravery of his interpreter and friend Sammy.
But now a call for help means Ash must once again face the chaos of war-torn
Baghdad - and this time there's no pay cheque. Abandoned by the occupying
Coalition Forces, Sammy and his family face certain death at the hands of the
Shia-dominated Iraqi Police and the death squads that roam the streets unless
Ash and his team can get in and get them to safety over the border. This is the
action-packed story of their audacious escape from Baghdad. It is a gripping
account of the chaos of war, where the only thing that can be relied upon is the
bond between former brothers-in-arms.

Ex-Army captain turned contractor James Ashcroft was one of a team tasked to
train a guard force to protect Iraq's water supply in the reconstruction
free-for-all following the bombing of Baghdad. His 18 months tasking in company
with tough of granite ex-Paras, SAS men and South African mercenaries is by turn
humorously and movingly told in his first book Making A Killing.

His
interpreter during this period was former Air Force pilot Sammy Mashooen, a
Sunni Muslim. Wind forward two years and Mashooen finds himself on a Death List
put out by his rival in the guard training programme, Colonel Ibrahim - a Shia,
now in charge of the police force. Thanks to the politics of the new 'democracy,
American authorities are unable to assist Sammy. Luckily, another old
comrade-in-arms, the "good" Colonel McQueen, calls Ashcroft to explain the
situation.

Ashcroft rounds up three former colleagues from his Making A
Killing days and they return to Baghdad. As Making A Killing refers to making
the big bucks they came home with after that first 18 months period, we now see
the human side of these dogs of war who spend their own money to return and
rescue Sammy and his family.

Secretly supported by American Special
Forces, they acquire the arms and three vehicles and drive the family out of the
city pursued by Colonel Ibrahim's Shia police and the Mahdi Army. They face
suicide bombers, snipers and a full-frontal assault by scores of fanatics in a
scene reminiscent of the robbery in Michael Mann's brilliant movie 'Heat' -
this, by the way, before they even get out of Baghdad.

This is an edge of
the seat, true life adventure that provides both a glimpse into the lives of the
ordinary Iraqi, but also a close look at the lives of the men like Ashcroft who
may appear 'mercenary' but have their hearts in the right place. Fast-paced and
eye-opening, for any one who enjoys the genre, this book is unmissable. A solid four stars and much in keeping with the first book.

Know no Fear by Dan AbnettUnaware of the wider Heresy and following the Warmaster’s increasingly cryptic orders, Roboute Guilliman returns to Ultramar to muster his Legion for war against the orks massing in the Veridian system. Without warning, their supposed allies in the Word Bearers Legion launch a devastating invasion of Calth, scattering the Ultramarines fleet and slaughtering all who stand in their way. This confirms the worst scenario Guilliman can imagine – Lorgar means to settle their bitter rivalry once and for all. As the traitors summon foul daemonic hosts and all the forces of Chaos, the Ultramarines are drawn into a grim and deadly struggle in which neither side can prevail.

The latest in the
book in the series depicting the Horus Heresy conflict that depicts the
Ultramarines facing off against the Word Bearers and is penned by my favorite author
Dan Abnett. The novel starts off with the Primarch of the Ultramarines -
Roboute Guilliman, 13th son of the Emperor - returning to Ultramar and the
planet Calth to gather almost the whole legion to launch against an Ork
invasion of the Veridian system, backed
up by a large force of the Word Bearers

For any 40K fan the Battle of Calth is seen as one of the pivotal moments in
the Horus Heresy. It is worth considering though that during the great crusade
the Word Bearers and primarch Lorgar built up a reputation for their extremist
religious views, idolising
the Emperor and committing violent atrocities against those who were slow to
adopt their beliefs. When the Emperor found out he ordered Guilliman and the
Ultramarines to raze the whole city of Monarchia - which was known as the "perfect city"
after the Word Bearers brought it into "compliance" and was seen as
their proudest achievement. Lorgar and his entire Legion were then forced to
kneel in the city's ashes before the Emperor and Guilliman. It's therefore not
difficult to see why the Ultramarines were chosen for this fate, Lorgar and his
Legion held a grudge ever since and saw this as the perfect opportunity to
extract some revenge.

I liked the authors idea to write the narrative in the present tense, it's a
brave move by the author but one that works remarkably well and makes the
reader to really feel a part of the battle. I am quite overwhelmed at how the
author manages to keep juggling all the separate elements, people, places and
events that make up this epic battle - the narrative moving from one scene to
the next without disorienting the reader; it's an impressive feat and one that
deserves an applause.

I loved the fact that Abnett spends time personalising each and every character - even the minor ones
that die moments later which gives a much richer and more personal feel to the
battle, one that the reader is emotionally attached to. Even with all these
cataclysmic events going on we still get treated to some real human touches
such as Ventanus' attempts to protect those around him and the bitter-sweet
tale of the fallen warrior who is lucky enough to be "reborn" as a
Dreadnaught only to find himself hurtling toward the planet at terminal
velocity after his ship is blown to pieces. My other favorite moments are the
points at which not only does Abnett explain some of theidiosyncrasies of the Ultramarines (the red sergeant
helmets for one) but he actually portraits this with humour and style that is often lacking in Black
Library Marines.

The main protagonist is the Ultramarine progenitor Guilliman and his analytical
mind, attention to detail, considered strategy and dry humour are amongst the highlights of the novel.
Abnett does a brilliant job of portraying him as a "super-human"
figure without it seeming over the top or condescending. This is then frames
against Word Bearers launch a devastating attack, scattering the fleet and
slaughtering all who stand in their way, summoning a host of foul demon and the
very forces of Chaos itself to aid their fight and described in language that
could only be described as delicious.

Without doubt
this is the best Horus Heresy novel to date and the way in which it is dealt with
makes this my favourite Dan
Abnett book too. In fact it almost cost me an Ultramarines army until IrealisedI could
never portrait the amazing characters that have been brought to life in the novel.
Without any shadow of a doubt, any
apology or shame this novel gets a righteous and well deserved 5 out of 5 from me
and only hope the next Ultramarines book is half as good.

Friday, June 08, 2012

Hi there,
This weeks’
newsletter features a MkIV Space Marine Command Set and a sheet of Etched Brass
Minotaurs Symbols, both available to pre-order now. We’ve also got an events
update for you, as July sees the beginning of the Games Day season, starting
off with Games Days in Spain and North America.

MkIV Space Marine
Command SetEach Company in a
Space Marine Chapter falls under the command of a Captain, a hardened veteran
and a master strategist. These lords of war read the battlefield’s ebb and flow
with enhanced reflexes and a post-human grasp of the ever-changing arena of
combat in which they spend their lives.

In addition
to his Chapter rank, each Captain may also bear additional honorific titles and
epithets associated with both his deeds of valour and the Company he leads.
Each is often accompanied by a Standard Bearer, carrying the battle-flag of the
company, invariably steeped in history and heavy with the glories of the
Chapter.

The MkIV Space Marine
Command Set,
designed by Mark Bedford, contains two
multi-part resin models, allowing you to build a Space Marine Commander and
Standard Bearer in MkIV ‘Maximus’ Armour.
This detailed set of miniatures is available to pre-order, for despatch from
Friday 29th June.

Etched Brass
Minotaurs SymbolsThe Minotaurs are a
Space Marine Chapter of dark renown, infamous for their cold and brutal methods
of war, their mastery of siege craft and their malign and bitter paranoia even
when fighting alongside allies.

This sheet
of Etched Brass
Minotaurs Symbols,
designed by Kenton Mills, contains 60
individual Chapter icons, blazons and symbols suitable for use on Space Marine
infantry and vehicles from shoulder pads, greaves and chest plates to doors and
other vehicle panels.

This
detailed set of etched brass symbols is available to pre-order now for despatch
from Friday 29th June.

Thanks,
Ead Brown
Customer Service Manager
Forge World

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really like the Space Marine commander and Bearer even if it is £25 for both but I like the pic below that shows both new products combine :)

Nice to see uses for the new products show, especially on two very nice models. very tempted to put them on my christmas wish list!